Just Pretend
by shmulia
Summary: Nat needs a fake boyfriend. Bucky is more than happy to volunteer for the role. (Bucky/Nat high school au)


Bucky's leaning against the front of the school when Nat walks up to him. He's focused on his phone, ignoring the people walking past; Bucky Barnes has a _very_ exclusive group of friends, and if you aren't in it, he isn't going to bother with you. It's nothing personal, as everyone in the school has figured out: it's just that Bucky, whilst polite to everyone, cares about only a handful of people. Of course, when your best friend is Steve Rogers, you tend to meet more people than you bargained for - hence his and Nat's unexpected friendship.

It was an unanticipated camaraderie. Both knew Steve - Bucky from years of friendship, Nat from the two going to the same gym - and were brought together by the blonde quarterback when Steve literally pulled Bucky into a conversation with Nat.

Something had sparked between them; when he came over to join the pair's conversation Bucky found that his protectiveness of Steve (he couldn't be sure that Nat wasn't trying to use Steve to make herself popular by association. It had happened before and, every time, Steve got hurt. And there was _nothing_ that Bucky hated more than seeing Steve hurt) seemed to be replicated in Nat. Later, Bucky learned that she didn't have a lot of friends, and those she did have, she cherished.

They had that in common.

The pair bonded, gradually forming trust and, later, genuine affection for each other. They were able to hang out without Steve around, the awkwardness disappearing over time. There were even moments, although Bucky would never admit it out loud, when he felt more than friendship for the redhead. Something about her entranced him; but he wouldn't dare pursue it. Nat was too valuable to him to lose over what could just be an attraction towards the unobtainable. It would be a mistake.

But God knows it's a mistake Bucky _desperately_ wants to make, more often than not.

He looks up and moves away from the wall as she walks – no, _sashays_ over to him, and, putting his phone away, he can't help but wonder why she's smiling at him so widely. He's about to say hello when she reaches him, but doesn't get the chance; he's suddenly embraced by her, red hair becoming the focus of his vision. Nat presses herself against him, and whispers in his ear.

"I need you to pretend you're my boyfriend. Just go with it, ok?" he hears before she pulls herself away slightly, one of her arms still wrapped gently around his neck, her other hand resting on his chest.

It's an odd request, but he knows it's important; it must be, if Nat's asking him to do it. He smiles and, praying that he isn't about to push any boundaries, tucks her hair behind her ear: if he's going to play the boyfriend, he may as well be _convincing._

"Why, exactly, am I pretending to be your boyfriend?" he asks. She moves out of their embrace to lean against the wall next to him, so close that their hips are touching. Nat rests her head against his shoulder, a gesture that, whilst not new, suddenly seems incredibly intimate.

"See that guy over there?" Nat asks, her eyes flicking towards a pissed off jock staring at the two of them. Bucky glares back, unconcerned about subtlety.

"Yeah," he says, eyes not moving away from their audience of one.

"He's been... bothering me," she says. His head darts towards her, immediately concerned. "Not like _that_. Just... asking me out. Not taking no for an answer. It got to the point where I lied about having a boyfriend to get him off my case, and when he asked who... you came to mind."

Bucky feels his face heat up. He knows it's a stupid thing to think about, but it's nice that _he's_ the person Nat thinks of, rather than Barton or Banner.

Another thought crosses his mind, and he frowns slightly.

"Don't get me wrong Nat, I'm fine with this, but... you could totally take that guy if he was bothering you. Couldn't you have just, you know, kicked his ass?"

Bucky feels Nat's head move off of his shoulder. Her lips are suddenly on his cheek, and he feels like he's been burned by her lips when the kiss ends.

It's not a bad feeling.

"Thanks for the confidence. I know I could take him. He's what, six foot? Maybe a hundred and sixty pounds? No problem, I could beat him in my sleep. But I can't afford to be in a fight. There's too much red pen in my ledger as it is - one more fight and Fury will have me expelled faster than a bullet being fired from a gun."

Bucky nods in understanding. "Fair enough."

He leans his head back against the wall, and feels Nat lean back into him. He looks over to see if Nat's unwanted suitor is still there, and notices that he's still watching them. Hoping that it looks natural, Bucky slides one of his arms around Nat's waist, his hand resting on her hip. He feels her tense for a second before settling into the new position. There's silence, and for a moment Bucky feels completely content.

"So, what are you doing by the front of the school anyway?" Nat asks, breaking the silence.

"Waiting for Steve," Bucky replies. "He got caught up talking to that Peggy girl. I said I'd wait here, but who knows how long it'll take for them to finish speaking?"

There's a pause.

"You think they're going to get together?"

Bucky chuckles. "Steve would certainly like to. He's had a thing for Peggy for as long as he's known her."

Nat smiles against Bucky's shoulder. "Well, she likes him back. Maybe Steve will actually make a- _why is he still here?"_

Bucky follows her gaze to see that the Creeper (as Bucky decides to name him) is, indeed, still there.

"Ok, there's determination, and then there's just plain stalking," Bucky says tensely, uncomfortable with the fact that the Creeper is still watching them, seemingly having not moved in about five minutes. "Want me to go have a word? There's no red in my file, it'd be no problem."

The fact that Nat pauses to even _consider_ letting Bucky fight one of her battles for her speaks volumes.

"No," she says slowly, "that won't be necessary, but I appreciate the offer. I have a... more effective idea."

Bucky is about to ask what when Nat moves in front of him, catlike in her smooth transition from one place to another. Her arms wrap around his neck, and, almost reflexively, his hands move to her hips. Her face tilts upwards, slowly enough so that he isn't taken by surprise, so that he has time to move away if this is just a step too far for him.

But he doesn't.

Their lips meet, and Bucky is cursing himself for not doing this sooner. She tastes like peppermint, from the gum she's nearly always chewing, and suddenly it's Bucky's favourite flavour. Nat's hand tightens on his shoulder as the other slips down his chest to pull at his jacket, somehow bringing the two of them even closer together. Bucky's hand moves up to her hair, which, it turns out, is as soft as it's always looked.

Bucky tries to keep the kiss innocent; a small voice (which sounds irritatingly like Steve for some reason) is desperately trying to remind him that this is for show, that he shouldn't take this too far. But when he feels Nat's tongue pressing against his lips, he can't help but respond, and somehow he's pressed against the front of the school with Nat's hand in his hair and her tongue in his mouth and for an indeterminate amount of time he thinks that maybe he's in heaven, when they hear the only thing that could break them apart.

"Uh... guys?"

Steve's voice is understandably confused, as he walks into the fresh air to see two of his closest friends making out _very_ publicly. His words cause the pair to jump apart, remembering that there is, in fact, a world surrounding them. As Nat moves away from Bucky, the two of them deeply breathing in the oxygen they briefly stopped caring about, he notices the pink staining her cheeks, and can't help but smile. Making Natasha Romanoff blush is an achievement which very few could boast about (not that Bucky _would_ boast about it, of course, but there was still a sense of pride he can't quite deny).

Nat turns to Steve, smiling, clearly trying to regain her normally unshakeable composure. Maybe it's just Bucky's ego, but he thinks that maybe she was more into the kiss than she thought she would be. He knows _he_ certainly had been.

"Hi," she says to Steve, her voice slightly breathy. "Heard you were talking to the lovely Miss Carter."

"Um... yeah," Steve responds, his eyes flicking between the girl in front of him and his bemused best friend, who's clearly on some sort of high from... well, from Nat.

"Well, how is she?" Nat asks, trying to move the conversation onwards from whatever questions Steve wants to ask.

"She's good, thanks," he replies. "What's going on with y-"

"Oh, look, that guy has gone! Well, I'm going to head off." Nat smiles at Steve, and turns and winks at Bucky. "I'll see you boys later." She walks off without a further word, leaving behind a very confused Steve, and a very happy Bucky.

"Was Nat _blushing?"_ Steve asks incredulously. Bucky nods, grinning. "What the hell happened?"

Bucky runs a hand through his hair, unable to stop smiling. "There was this guy, and Nat asked me to pretend to be her boyfriend. Things... escalated."

"Clearly." Steve smirked. "That was some damn fine acting then, Bucky."

"Oh, shut up."

"So... you and Nat, huh?"

"Shut up."

"I knew you liked each other."

"Shut u- what?"

Steve's whipped his phone out, and before Bucky can even blink he's sent a text and is grinning at his best friend.

"Barton owes me ten bucks," Steve says happily, slipping his phone in his jacket pocket and walking away from both the school and his best friend. Bucky gawps for a split second, before speedily catching up to the blonde quarterback.

"Steve, wait up? What was that about her liking me? _Steve!"_


End file.
